13 + Water Snake = Goddess Year Magic

In January we welcomed 2013. In February we shifted out of Water Dragon into Water Snake year according to Chinese Astrology. This is a powerful combination considering both the number 13 and the Snake totem are associated with the Goddess. I have been excited to have a "13" year for as long as I can remember; it is my favorite number, and like some of my other favorite things, has been demonized and labeled as bad luck. The same for the Serpent. These labels are fear-based because of the power carried by both. There is so very much to say about this! but I will keep it brief and we will just allow this year to unfold perfectly as it will. The number 13 is the number of freedom and correlates to the 13 moons (months) of the old calendar. The 12 month calendar is a little disconnected from the natural cycles and is a symptom of the split that many earthlings experienced as matter and spirit were seen as separate, and societies lost touch with their own natural rhythms aligned with Nature's cycles. In the old calendar there are 13 cycles of 28 days. There are 29.5 days from new moon to new moon. Thirteen moons of 28 days gives us 364 days plus the "day out of time"... which equals 365. Correspondingly, 28 (.5) days is the average length of women's moon cycles. Metaformic Theory (by theorist Dr. Judy Grahn), which states that modern culture is born from menstruation and ancient menstrual rites, is an essential theme and source for this year.

The Snake is an emblem and archetype of freedom and transformation. Serpent is linked with kundalini shakti, female sexuality, the Divine Feminine, women's menstrual cycles... Snake sheds her skin, just as women shed uterine lining at moon time. When a snake sheds, her eyes glaze over, which looks as if she is entranced or enraptured; she is having a death/rebirth. Moontime for women is a potent time of deep sensing, entering into an alternated state, it is a death and rebirthing.

2013 Water Snake year is a Goddess year; the Great Mother is here and She is letting us know. Snake year will be about rebirth, transformation, refinement and re-creation. After 2011 Metal Rabbit and 2012 Water Dragon years of destruction and dismantling, crumbling and death, we will begin to rebuild, recalibrate, redefine, and refine. We are transforming. The portal of "2012" with the Venus transit and the extremely powerful eclipse cycles reminded us that our frequencies are being recalibrated. Snake represents healing, wisdom, spirituality, mystery, magic, enchantment. We will need this time of introspection, time to plan and look inside for answers, for deep healing, and for creativity to be invoked.

My theme for the year, and from which I'll be teaching is: Conjure and create magic, invoke and activate radical rebirth and transformation. 

May we release those burdens we are still carrying, of shame and self-doubt, of insecurity and heartache, and allow the archetype of the Snake to move through is and in us, letting go so fully into the chaos and change that we recreate a more authentic version of our soul's purpose here on this planet, refining and redefining ourselves with our new frequencies. So mote it be.

Jai Jai Kali Ma! Great Mother of Destruction and Rebirth! Blessed be ~*~ 

Imbolc Initiations

As I have written often, Imbolc Eve is a potent night of magic and divination, dedications and initiations. February 2 is Imbolc (Candlemas), a sacred cross-quarter day on the Wheel of the Year  between Yule and Spring Equinox. We begin to sense and see signs that Spring will soon emerge from the quiet ground (the "belly") of Winter. During the dark days of Winter the Dark Goddess Cailleach, the "veiled one," rules. Then Earth stirs and awakens, and rebirth and possibilities are activated. This is Brighid's time of year (Brigit, Bride), the Celtic Goddess of hearth and home. Her name means "Bright One" and she is the powerful Goddess of fire and fertility, healing, prophecy and divination, smithcraft, sacred wells, and keeper of the flames. Originally it was Brighid’s snake that emerged for weather divination (not a groundhog). Allow new potential to stir within, new awareness to awaken, and great inspiration to quicken in this new year, 2013, Water Snake year. May Brighid's Mantle bless you and ignite your deep fire  and passion for creating the life of your dreams.

Blessed Be ~

Underworld Surfaces

Pluto, Lord of the Underworld, stations direct tonight. Retrograde since April (stirrings of Pluto energies felt more internally), Pluto will now exert his power more directly. Pluto has been in Capricorn for a few years now, the sign of purpose, power, and leadership. The balance of power will continue to shift, especially with the influence of the Pluto/Uranus square (conflict) that we will continue to experience. Uranus is radical change and originality, and is in Aries, the sign of the warrior. This churns up the intense desire for freedom at any cost. The day after Pluto stations we will get another direct "hit" of the Pluto/Uranus square; we will feel the intensity of this power struggle and shift to assist our own personal alchemical awakenings and activated evolution. Stay aware and allow for some surrender with these two forces of Nature ~ they can split us open and help to scoop out the outdated paradigm fragments and bits of programming and conditioning which is completely necessary for our current shapeshifting. May sensitive earthlings allow these powerful energies to be positive influences and and assist deep growth and transformation.

Blessed be ~

Eclipse Activation Portal + Venus Transit

::AstroAlignment:: We are currently in an ECLIPSE portal. Monday, June 4 brings a partial lunar eclipse at 4:04am, and the Full Moon in Sagittarius at 4:12am. Gemini Sun and Sag Moon are in opposition- what is not in alignment, not serving, where there is conflict, make space and let go. As I've written many times before, eclipses are activators and amplifiers. Hold positive and powerful thoughts and intentions during this very potent time. Your thoughts are spells that conjure your reality. At 2:04pm, Neptune (in Pisces) goes retrograde. The dreamy planet has been comfy at home in Pisces, and this retrograde period can assist us in really refining our deepest dreams for life, and recalibrate our frequencies to magnetize to us those circumstances that are truly in alignment with our hearts. Tuesday, June 5 we will experience a phenomenal event, the TRANSIT of VENUS. We experienced the last one 8 years ago, and will not see this event again in our lifetime (next one in 2117). Venus is entangled in the eclipse. Relationships and what we value and what is meaningful to us will be emphasized and require attention. We also have a Pluto-Uranus square that continues to provide interesting energies... Increase your sensitivity and stay connected to your heart during these highly charged times. You are blessed.

February Fire

February 2 is Imbolc (Candlemas), a cross-quarter holy day that initiates the very first stirrings of Springtime. There are subtle signs in nature that remind us that winter is waning and the sun's light continues to grow. The word oimelc translates as "ewe's milk" and refers to ewes ready to give birth to little lambs just as the earth swells with new life. This is a fire festival, presided over by Brighid (Brigit) the Great Celtic Goddess of sacred wells and keeper of the flames. She also governs occult wisdom and divination, healing, smithcraft, hearth and home.  Magic and divination are prominent this time of year. For years on Imbolc Eve I have hung a special cloth, called Brighid's Mantle, from my window overnight so that as Brighid passes through the night it will be blessed. Also in February we celebrate Lupercalia, which honors Faunus (Pan) and a festival to honor Juno; these celebrations involved fertility and purification and rebirth. This is a an auspicious time for a renewal in your soul and to tune into your own psychic senses and non-rational ways of knowing.

Light and tend the fires of your heart. Feel the red embers burning in the cauldron purify and clear confusion and stagnation and ignite new passions. Feel your golden dreams stirring in the darkness, burgeoning and ready to burst into being.

May Brighid's mantle cover, protect, and bless you this year. Blessed be. 

Dragon Magic

On January 22 at 11:39pm, the new moon in Aquarius initiated Chinese New Year. We said goodbye to the year of the metal rabbit and have entered the year of the Water Dragon. Dragons are auspicious creatures. They are majestic and magical, powerful and strong, and they bring good luck and blessings. Dragons are also shape-shifters; they will teach us how to be whatever we want to be, and to be flexible, and to go with the flow. They invite us to dream big. The Water Dragon will have a more fluid, intuitive, sea creature feel, as opposed to a fiery feel. There will be a Neptunian, underwater, dreamy, mysterious undertone to this year. There is a grand mystery and majesty inherent in a Dragon year, and particularly since it is 2012, a year with a buzz of mystery surrounding it, we are ensured an experience of unearthing the unknown. This year Uranus, the radical planet, will be making a square (challenging alignment) with Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth. Its all about evolution. Get ready for an evolution activation, and the more you resist change, the more you will struggle. Be friends with chaos, expect the unexpected.

My theme for this year, inspired by the Water Dragon, is to Merge with the Mystery and Magnetize the Magic! You can become a mixologist of magic. This is the year that you wake up once and for all. There is no time to waste, no more playing small, indulging in the disease of self-loathing. The dreamers, thinkers, dancers, artists, creatives must step forward and hold the space this year. Paradigms are shifting, structures are crumbling, the past is dying. We don't have the privilege of waiting for someone else to step up and dream a beautiful dream and do the work. We are the creators of our own reality, the dreamers of our own dreams, the activators of our own awakening. We set the tone for this new reality, this new age. Waiting is not an option. Awakening and Activation. Be awake and activate!

We must be in tune with the bigger energies of the Universe, allowing our hearts and minds to dream bigger of an astounding and unreasonably expansive new reality. Magical, mysterious, magnificent Dragon assists us in a shift in consciousness. The Dragon's fiery breath will purify us deeply, and its magic will entice us into the depths of our souls, where transmutation and alchemical transformation can help us get rooted more steadily into our own heart's desires. Dragon asks us to dream big, to know why we have chosen to be here on this planet at this time, to remember our power, to be comfortable with change, to believe in magic, to live with a heart ignited by the inexplicable longing of the soul.

Dragon Magic ~ merging with the mystery. Blessed be.

Samhain Scorpio Self-inquiry

Tonight is the holiest night of the year for me, Samhain, or Hallowmas. The veil between the worlds grows thin, and the Ancestors draw near. Our Guides and Guardians, protective spirits, the elementals and fae are close and it is easier to connect with, listen to, and interact with them. We are in the dark, dreamtime of the year... saturated with darkness, inside of which we are cooked and seasoned, nourished and healed. Without the sacred dark there can be no experience of light. The descent myths are felt, embodied, enacted... Demeter and Persephone, Inanna... Many cultures honor death and darkness at this time of the year, and celebrate rebirth, a return of the light. Some of the celebrations center around darkness or light, or death and life: Diwali, Dia de los Muertos, Samhain...

The Sun in Scorpio right now, the sign associated with death, intensity, and transformation, encourages us to leave the surface level interactions behind and delve into our own depths and become aware of the deepest parts of ourselves. We also have Mercury, the planet that influences how we think and communicate, and Venus, the planet of love, relationships and value, in Scorpio. This adds to the saturation of transformational energies into our lives. The  hidden places of our psyches and souls, the secrets in our hearts, are struck and resurrected, and cannot be ignored. They swim to the surface for our review and understanding, needing to be seen and felt and tended to. There is nothing unworthy lurking inside, nothing that must be stuffed down. Scorpio demands that the shadow side get some attention. Associated with the sign of Scorpio is the scorpion, representing the "sting" of the intensity and revolution, but also the firebird, which symbolizes the transformative qualities of this sign. The fires of radical change engulf each of us at some point in life, uncomfortable and painful and not pretty to look at, but the promise in the pain is that the fires polish us, burn away the excess, the unnecessary, the burdens and holding on... and we emerge from the flames, rising out of the ashes like the phoenix, with clarity and greater insight. An alchemical transformation in the highest sense takes place. Bright firebirds of transformation rise up and are reborn.

Let this night, this time of year, take you into the cauldron of your deepest self, let your prayers and invocations rise to the Ancestors and the Divine with the incense smoke. Adorn your altars with marigolds and pomegranates and photos of the beloveds that have passed from this plane. Align profoundly with the energies that pulse with magic and metamorphosis in this time of year, your heart open as the portals of consciousness expand momentarily. Listen deeply.

May we be blessed. May we remember. May we live fully. So mote it be...

Sun Day

Last night was Midsummer Eve, for me an evening of flickering candles and divination, mugwort and deep dreams. Today is Litha (for those that follow the Old calendar) or Summer Solstice*- the pinnacle and purna (fullness) of the Light, the triumphant day of the Sun, the longest day and shortest night of the year. Astrologically, Solstice is initiated when the sun moves into 0 degrees Cancer, which occurred today at 10:16am PDT. This is a day of radiance, luminosity, and boundless tejas.

The great and shining Sun reaches its perfection and fullness, and in a moment's time we head into the dark half of the year. It will still be summer for quite some time, but we will know that the light wanes and the darkness builds. This is the wheel of the year, turning again...

We are in familiar territory; life is constantly shifting and changing, bringing beauty and challenges, and there's always more. That is the promise of life, the promise of sri, that there will always be more. When people ask me what is happening astrologically, I say, "Everything. All the time." And its true. This is happening in your life as well,  the unfolding and releasing, invoking and establishing. There is a constant pulsing of life flowing, waxing and waning, expanding and contracting. We have an intimate knowledge of this experience while practicing Anusara yoga, living life as householders on a path, holding the midline of our sadhana (true spiritual practice).

We will be in an eclipse portal for the entirety of June, which is why I've deemed June "Eclipse June." There was a partial solar eclipse in Gemini on  June 1 and a total lunar eclipse in Sagittarius on June 15. The final one of this cycle will be in the very early morning hours (1:38am) on July 1, with another partial solar eclipse in Cancer. This is a time of immense activation, acceleration, and amplification (my theme for this cycle). This is happening in some form or another in your life. Some of you may feel Kali Ma throwing lightning bolts into your life, startling you with unexpected and sudden change, or that your shell is being cracked, or that your paradigm is being shifted. Remember to hold the midline and trust the change; Shakti, the creative potency of the Universe is reorganizing you, and your life. This can feel uncomfortable, even unbearable, but in our practice we are becoming skilled at allowing every circumstance of life take us into the molten radiance of our hearts. That is the yoga.

It is important to be extremely mindful of the matrika of your self-talk, the pictures you are holding in your mind's eye, the visions you are channeling during the eclipse window. The eclipses are fortified with activation power. The Universe is listening to you, closely. So watch what you wish for. Amplification is happening.

On this Solstice, make a date with the Sun, bask in the warmth and relish the sunshine. The fullness of the light breaks into the beginning of the dark in its ancient way. At sunset say goodbye to the Sun as he disappears into the sea, to be reborn in the sky on Winter Solstice. Late tonight light a candle and renew your commitments and offer your blessings. Bow to the golden tejas that burns brightly inside your own shining heart.

Bright Blessings ~*

*in the Northern hemisphere

Beautiful Bountiful Beltane Blessings

The Wheel of the Year turns once again, moving us forward into the light. The hearth/home fires are extinguished and re-lit for Beltane ("bright fire"). If we don't have a bonfire or campfire to dance around, we can light a fire in our home cauldron, or a beeswax candle, and hop over it with a heart full of  inspiration and deep wishes, for protection and good luck. Traditionally, cattle were driven through two great balefires for purification, fertility and prosperity. People danced in the smoke from the flames for the same reason, and there was dancing around the maypole. Lovers frolicked and made love in the fields and gardens to bless the land. We can honor this day in the same way. This fire festival is a celebration of fertility and passion, revelry in sexuality and sensuality. The fire that purifies and clears also ignites and inspires. Beltane invokes sparks of creativity and new abundance, fertility and frolicking, celebration and creation, praises and pleasure.  With the Sun in Venus-ruled Taurus, may we feel the irresistible desire to make beauty and live artfully.  May we enjoy embodiment as a sacred pleasure treasure.

♥ Blessed be.

Ostara Egg

March 20 at 4:21 pm PST, the sun moves into fiery Aries initiating an astrological new year and Vernal Equinox (in the Northern hemisphere). Equinox ("equal night") is a time of year when day and night are equal and light and dark are balanced; the sun rises and sets due east and west and crosses the Celestial Equator. This is the perfect time to honor and invoke balance as a practice in life. We can reflect on the ways we spend our time and energy and whether they are in alignment with what we truly value. We can then renew our commitment to make changes when needed, to seek the midline of life when we feel uncertain or uninspired. Balancing effort and ease is a valuable practice to remember.

Spring cleaning, inside and out, is a great way to express the energy of renewal and new beginnings. Clear out the clutter and stagnation, regrets and resentments, to make space for new growth and abundance. When cleaning your home, it is customary to scrub clockwise to infuse the space with good energy for growth, and add positive thoughts or mantras. Set up a spring altar, with rabbits and colored eggs, daffodils and wildflowers, chocolate bunnies, candles, a cauldron and seeds...

Today is Ostara, named for the Goddess Ostara, or Eostre, the Goddess of the Red Dawn, the Spring Goddess, whose sacred attendant is the magical hare. It is a time to bless spring seeds and place them in your heart and into the ground. Signs of spring announce that the Light will now begin to reign. The sky pours rain to soak the earth, to resurrect nature from the frozen sleep of winter. The Cosmic Egg of Nature hatches and life emerges enthusiastically from within.

The hare, long associated with the moon, is the embodiment of fertility and an ancient symbol of magic, sacred to Ostara as well as the Faerie Queen. The egg is the primordial symbol of birth and beginnings. The Aries sun calls us to feel a renewed energy, new inner fire and spark, an awakening of dormant creativity or slumbering passion.  May we break out of our shells with ignited inspiration and exclaim with lives lived artfully that we align with a radical and wild Nature.

Blessed be ~*~

P.S. My theme for this year of the Metal Rabbit: May we hop into the Honey of our Hearts and mix an Elixir of Bliss!™

Sacred Fires and Metal Rabbits

Tonight is Imbolc Eve, a night of magic and divination. Tomorrow, on February 2, multiple events coalesce into a magical day of celebration and new beginnings. Imbolc (or Candlemas) is a sacred cross-quarter day in the Wheel of the Year, an important and powerful time between Yule and Spring Equinox. We are held in the belly of winter, but signs of Spring begin to emerge. At this time of year I honor Brighid (Brigit, Bride), the Celtic goddess of hearth and home, of healing, occult knowledge and divination, smithcraft, sacred wells, the keeper of the flames. Originally it was Brighid's snake that emerged for weather divination (not a groundhog). On this eve, I will hang a special cloth, called Brighid's mantle, from my window so that Brighid will bless it as she travels through the night. February 2 is also the new moon in Aquarius (at 6:31 pm PST). All new moons signify new beginnings, rebirth and renewal, and in the sign of Aquarius this new moon will emphasis Aquarius qualities (like originality, eccentricity, unconventionality, progressive thinking,  strong opinions, humanitarianism). I love when the sun is in Aquarius, my own sun sign, which is ruled by Uranus, the planet of radical change, rebellion, unconventionality; energies of originality and free-thinking which are natural for Aquarius now infuse and influence life more fully for all. This is a time to think outside of the box to create radical and dramatic shifts in the global consciousness, and in our own lives.

Lastly, tomorrow marks the end of the Tiger year and the beginning of the Year of the Hare. This will be a metal Rabbit year, meaning that the Rabbit year is infused with the element of metal. It will be a calmer year that the intensity of the Tiger, a year of quality over quantity, refinement, sensitivity and attentiveness. Rabbit is stylish and artistic, calm and expressive. (Come to class to hear my my theme for the year, and to hear my special metal Rabbit mix!) May you rock this metal Rabbit year.

May Brighid's mantle cover, protect, and bless you this year.

Blessed be ~

The Darkness Births the Light

Monday (December 20) is the darkest day of the year, Solstice Eve, when we prepare for the Darkness to birth the Light. Even as the moon waxes, the darkness deepens.  On the eve of the Winter Solstice we light candles that will burn through the darkest, longest night. We contemplate the journey we have taken this year, feel gratitude for where we are now, while creating a heartfelt wish for moving forward into a new cycle. A few minutes after midnight (PST) we welcome the full moon in Gemini and a powerful total lunar eclipse, and then we experience the birth of the Solstice sun in the sky. On Tuesday afternoon we celebrate Solstice (sun standing still) as the sun shifts from Sagittarius into Capricorn. This is the first time in a long time, over 400 years, that the Solstice has coincided with a full moon lunar eclipse; the potency of both these events will be intensified dramatically.

With Mercury retrograde and the deep darkness enveloping us, we have slowed down, turned inward, increased sensitivity, and deepened communion and quiet listening to our deepest self. With the turn of the Wheel of the Year again, we appreciate that periods of activity and dynamism must be balanced with periods of rest and repose. This is Nature's way.

The lunar eclipse creates a quickening, intensifying and amplifying what we are holding in our consciousness. Eclipses are extraordinary activators and magnifiers, like super shakti lightning bolts; they can activate and initiate profound shifts in your life even if these shifts feel disorienting or uncomfortable. They also magnetize your thoughts and prayers, so continue to spend time in quiet contemplation to clarify your most genuine auspicious vision and what you will have exploded into manifestation at this time. Just like during this summer's eclipse window, now is a time that will activate and magnetize your dreams. This cycle will build on the last one, and we will feel the effects for months.

Dream your life's vision into being. Honor the auspicious communion between the Gemini full moon lunar eclipse and the Solstice. We are held and nurtured and cooked and healed in the darkness, the womb of the Great Mother, and from this Darkness the Light is born. Celebrate with the stars and sky that the Sun is born.

Blessed be ~*

Dreamtime

For those of us that honor the "old calendar" we have just entered the gateway of the most auspicious time of the year, Samhain, or Hallowmas, the Celtic new year. This is a time when the gods draw near, and the veil of consciousness between the worlds, separating the land of the living from the Otherworld, becomes thin. We honor the Ancient Ones, the ancestors, and all those that have passed from the land of the living. We celebrate those that have embodied into the relative world and emerged as newborns to have an embodied adventure. It is a time for invocations and incantations, divination, increased sensitivity, and deep listening.

This time of the year, when we are saturated in darkness, the Dark Goddess reigns; she is the Guardian of the Crossroads, able to see into the past, present, and future at once. The dark time of the year can be experienced as the Dreamtime; we submerse ourselves into the sacred Darkness where we are held, nourished, recharged. We can look back and reflect on where we have been and what we have learned, acknowledge where we are and clarify what it is we value, and gather our power in preparation for moving forward with insight and purpose into our future. The Darkness is the womb of the Goddess, where we grow our vision and dream our lives into being. It is the cauldron, where we are cooked, seasoned, steeped in the wisdom of the Wise Ones.

Now that the wheel of the year has turned into the fullness of the Dreamtime, let yourself turn inside, allow the introspection and reflection of this seasonal shift to emerge naturally. Tune in to the whispers of the Ancient Ones, and to your own wise heart. Nest and settle in to the darkness, savor it, until the light returns. Weave your dreams.

~Blessed be. ★

*************

Worship your Life as a Gift

Everything in Nature pulses with Consciousness. Supreme Consciousness pervades all that we can see and that which is unseen. There is a constant pulsation of contraction and expansion happening in the universe, and within ourselves; we are part of the dynamic and pulsating throb of Universal energy. It is a radical idea to believe that we are saturated in Consciousness, that our essential nature is freedom and fullness, but that is a fundamental truth. Life is an ecstatic play of chaos and order, and Divine Intelligence permeates all that exists.

The Absolute is absolutely full, and yet has a will to express, a divine urge to create; this is an expression of unbounded freedom. Understanding this, we can begin to live in our own fullness, and still feel the throb to move toward what is most valuable and life-affirming to us, to clarify and create a fulfilled expression of the deep purpose we cannot ignore during this lifetime.

It is a karmic blessing to be embodied in physical form on the planet at this time. Things are shifting, dissolving, releasing and it is a powerful time. Life is precious, and we are blessed that we are able to savor the sensual delights of embodiment. Worship your life as a gift from the Great Consciousness, from Maha Shakti. Worship at the altar of your own great heart. Life is about awakening and living fully, drinking in the nectar of our hearts. May we be more like Nature, like the trees, like the rich soil, lily pads and lichens, clouds and rays of sunshine; all of Nature knows its inherent perfection. May we recognize ours.

We must clarify our highest vision for ourselves and our lives, align with the Divine and with Nature, and invoke and declare that vision in all that we do and how we live. We are meant to live fully, to delight in this embodied experience, and by aligning our individual will with the Absolute Consciousness, we begin to refine and manifest purposefully the most beautiful articulation imaginable as our very own lives.

Blessed be.

Awakening Iccha

Awakening Iccha, the Power of Will (from an article I wrote for the YT Newsletter) By KK Ledford, M.A. In this hemisphere, we have just emerged from the saturation of darkness at midwinter. At Solstice, the Goddess gives birth to the sun, and the promise of the light returns. We begin to feel within ourselves the stirring of the seeds that were planted in the dark time of year. As the light waxes, so too does our own longing to express our heart's desires. We must step into our own hearts, set on fire with desire for remembrance of our inherent freedom and fullness. When we live with a heart ignited, it becomes our heartfelt intention to consciously and daily align with the Divine. We begin to invoke an embodied experience of our iccha, the energy of will.

From a Kashmir Shaivism perspective, the Absolute Consciousness, reflecting the whole universe, is full of five energies: chit shakti (energy of consciousness), ananda shakti (energy of bliss), iccha shakti (energy of will), jnana shakti (energy of knowledge), and kriya shakti (energy of action). The universe was created as a reflection of the Divine's own will, or iccha shakti. The Absolute is absolutely full, and yet has a will to express, a divine urge to create; this is an expression of unbounded freedom. Understanding this, we can begin to live in our own fullness, and still feel the throb to move toward what is most valuable and life-affirming to us, to clarify and create a fulfilled expression of the deep purpose we cannot ignore during this lifetime. We are meant to live fully, to delight in this embodied experience, and by aligning our individual will with the Divine, we begin to refine and manifest purposefully the most beautiful articulation imaginable as our very own lives.

Yoga, like life, is an ecstatic play of consciousness, the grand pulsation of the Maha Shakti as the power of the universe. Yoga can be experienced as an entrance into the heart of embodied spirituality, a place to enjoy and delight in our connection to the Divine through our senses. Embodiment is a gift to be savored, rather than a burden to disdain or transcend. Our poses are like heartfelt prayers or expressions that bring us deeper into our own hearts and bodies. The practice of yoga on and off the mat assists us in cultivating heart qualities that are already inherent, but may be forgotten or hidden inside of us. Yoga clears away the veils and reveals the splendor that is always present so that we can see ourselves more clearly. Consciousness herself chooses as an act of free will to pulse and become the Universe (visva) and all things contained in it. We too employ our own will, or iccha, to align with the pulsation of the Supreme Consciousness and dedicate ourselves to our spiritual practice. We possess free will as part of our nature, and are free to choose how to live and with what to align. We choose moment to moment either to celebrate embodiment and live in a way that creates more beauty, or to veil our true nature and fall into forgetfulness and enact harmful habits.

Spiritual practice is not separate from daily life but rather an intimate part of it. We must daily dedicate ourselves to our own unfoldment, and listen attentively to the wisdom of our intuition. When we regularly align with nature, connect to our own body, remember that our nature is part of the boundless Consciousness, we are participating honestly in the very enactment of yoga. It is iccha, our will, that acts as the driving force that calls us to spiritual practice. It is iccha that activates our sense of enthusiasm and exuberance for life.

We undoubtedly face challenging times in our lives, and we can draw understanding from our yoga practice. When we encounter a difficult pose that brings up fear, penetrates into a long-held trauma, or brings up uncomfortable emotions, we steady ourselves and find our breath. When we are disconnected from our own body and heart and disconnected from the natural world around us, we inevitably feel cut off from the Supreme Consciousness, which can lead to suffering. Through yoga, in this deeply connected place, we remember physically, psychologically and energetically that our true nature is divine and that the Divine Shakti supports us always. The same pulsation of will that sets our hearts ablaze with love invites us to the mat during the troubled times, when we are dealing with illness, personal challenges, grief; it calls us onto the mat, onto the meditation cushion to sit and breathe deeply, or into our bodies to feel and reconnect. We have inside of us a will to live, to act, to know, to create. Practicing yoga in a genuine and thoughtful way is an invitation to coalesce with the Divine pulsation of the universe; we have the revelation that we are not separate from the Divine, but deeply interconnected with and immersed in the heart of Consciousness itself.

The question to ask is, what is our heart's deepest longing? And how can we live fully, freely, outrageously, and imbued with Grace? What stirs you, calls you, impels you, what breaks your heart open? What invokes a sense of extraordinary love and ferocity, grace and power? And are you willing to live from this place? These are not questions to take lightly or simply ideas we talk about casually; we must take seriously our sadhana, and engage in a genuine contemplation of what is most powerfully pulsing deep in our own precious hearts. We must feel that strong will to learn, to listen, to be, to express. When we turn inside and feel the pulsation of our awakened consciousness, which is innately free and full, and we move forward in the direction of our heart's longing, we occupy a profound place in the center of the power of will. It is our fiery will that inspires us toward our crystalline vision of our own lives.

May we live with an awakened and ignited iccha, a bright fire of willpower, and a constantly renewed sense of wonder for the gift of this experience of life.

Dancing with the Trickster

Mercury, the Trickster, the Messenger, the planetary Muse of communication and motion, shifted into retrograde on September 6 for the third time this year. This would usually be the last Mercury retrograde of the year, but this year in late December we will have our fourth retrograde period. As you know from being in my class, when Mercury retrogrades we slow down and review. This is not a time to fear, as many people who know very little about astrology might convince you of, but an invitation to turn inside, slow down, relax. If you do not accept that invitation and continue to run through life at the usual human speed, you will trip and fall, metaphorically and literally. When people do not heed the invitation of Mercury retrograde to take extra care, to slow your pace, to stop and smell the flowers, to sometimes keep your thoughts to yourself, then communication gets tangled, feelings get hurt, and accidents happen. This is a time when many will have various falls and accidents, get parking and speeding tickets, have all technology go haywire, lose things, experience communication devices such as email, phone, and computer seemingly erupt into an explosion of disruption, and have travel delays. But if you are aware and allow for this virtual sleep cycle in technology, motion, and communication, you are less likely to be taken out in this three week adventure.

In Anusara yoga, our intention is always to align with Nature, and by offering these insights to you, I hope to share more of what is actually happening in Nature, in the stars, so that you can more genuinely be in alignment. And so that you can be more at ease during this time.

Since we are already on an astrological roll, another powerhouse event was initiated yesterday; a Saturn-Uranus opposition, with Saturn in Virgo and Uranus in Pisces. This is the third of five exact oppositions from 1998 to 2010. This is playing out in on the world stage in our social, economic, political, and cultural situation.

Saturn is structure, limits, fixed, conservative, rules, the disciplinarian. Uranus is independent, original, wild, unconventional, evolution, the free-spirit. (Guess which planet rules Aquarius, my sun?). These two extreme planets clash, as do their energies and qualities. We may experience their clash by feeling pulled in two polarized directions. Think order - chaos or stability - change. This is the primordial balanced action that we experience in our yoga and in our lives. It is not different from Tantra. This is dancing on the razor's edge and embracing paradox sincerely.

Emotional explosions will be erupting all over. We haven't experienced a set of Saturn-Uranus oppositions in 40+ years. I advise lots of self-care, avoiding confrontation and conflict, staying in, getting rest, doing things that you love and bring you joy...

May we dance on the razor's edge of paradox and navigate with sensitivity through the waters of life.

KK is interviewed by bayshakti.com after her Saturday class at Wanderlust Festival

Light the Lammas Fires

*some of this post is taken from last year's Lammas* August 2 is Lammas, an ancient Celtic holy day that heralds the beginning of harvest time. Crops ripen, life abounds, and our hearts and homes are full as we head deeper into the dark half of the year. Lammas means "loaf-mass" in Old English and is both a fire festival and a harvest celebration of the the first grain harvest. It is also known as Lughnasadh, the Celtic holy day named for the Sun God Lugh. For many of us that honor the wheel of the year, Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals, a time to bake bread and offer thanks. It actually occurs at fifteen degrees of Leo, which is the midpoint between summer solstice and autumnal equinox, so this year we can celebrate from August 1 through August 7.

You can bake corn bread, scones, loaves of bread, or make preserves and share them. You may literally light the fires (candles) or more symbolically light the Lammas bonfires. Take some time to contemplate and release what is passing out of your life, letting go. Throw regrets into the fire. Think about what your harvest has brought forth, what you are reaping.

Genuine creativity is at its peak. This is a good time to focus on creative projects, make art, and allow your talents to be felt as gifts from the Shakti. Be clear as you vision your life, and what your fiery will directs you towards. Create a work of art that illustrates or crystalizes into a form your intentions.

May our hearts dance in exuberant fulfillment to celebrate the last days of summertime! May we live each moment to the fullest, and savor the miraculousness and preciousness of this embodied experience.

Let us seek the magic of this upcoming full moon, while we roar our gratitude with beautiful ferocity like Leo.

Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima Blessings! On July 7 we experienced Guru Purnima, the full moon of the Guru, and a penumbral lunar eclipse. Guru Purnima is a time to honor our teachers, in the Relative realm and the Absolute. We acknowledge that our first teacher is our mother, and we celebrate those that have mothered us throughout our lives. We also remember and connect with the masters of Consciousness no longer in embodied form that teach us and bless us, and explore the Guru Tattva or Guru Principle, the teaching principle in the universe. May we appreciate and honor deeply the complex and unique relationship between teacher and student.

The full moon and lunar eclipse occurred in Capricorn, inviting us into the realm of the ancestors and ancient ones. Eclipses are like electrifying lightning bolts of awakening, initiating a quickening. It is a good time to pay attention to what is coming in to your life, and to step into your fullness and authenticity. We listen for guidance and wisdom from the great masters of Consciousness. We honor the Guru Principle or the essence of the guru. Guru means “heavy” or “weighty”. The guru is the remover of ignorance, the weighty one, saturated with wisdom, permeated with Grace.

I spent the six days leading up to Guru Purnima with my teacher Paul in the red rocks of Sedona, which was an extraordinary blessing. I felt the nectar-filled Maha moon illuminate many mysteries of the heart. May we offer pada-puja pranams to the lotus feet of the primordial yogi and teacher Lord Shiva. Om Namah Shivaya! We honor the Great Mother. Sri Maa Namaha! I bow to my absolutely amazing teachers with love and gratitude.

As I wrote last year, this month I invite you to let your home become heavy with the scent of incense and the sounds of prayers and chanting. Clarify intentions in candlelight and offer respect in your own way to the Great Teaching Principle and the Ancient Ones. Contemplate purna (fullness, perfection), and reflect on who and what you are heartbreakingly grateful for. May our hearts become sanctified and saturated with the nectar of the bliss of the Divine. May we become full like the moon with the soma of honey-like awareness.

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Lovely Lammas

Friday, Freya's day, will be the first day of August, with both the sun and the new moon in Leo - we will also have the auspiciousness of a total solar eclipse! Eclipses always bring a quickening, a transformational invitation, a burgeoning. The new moon adds to the magic;  we empty out as the moon wanes to make room physically, emotionally, and energetically for that which we invite into our lives with gratitude, and then plant into the darkness of the new moon, our deepest, fiery longing for what we invoke.

August 2 is Lammas, an ancient Celtic holy day that heralds the beginning of harvest time. Crops ripen, life abounds, and our hearts and homes are full, and we head deeper into the dark half of the year. Lammas means "loaf-mass" and is both a fire festival and a harvest celebration of the the first grain harvest. For many of us that honor the wheel of the year, Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals, a time to bake bread and offer thanks.

You can bake corn bread, scones, loaves of bread, or make preserves and share them. Take some time to contemplate and say goodbye to what is passing in your life, what you are letting go of. Throw regrets into the fire. Think about what your harvest has brought forth, what you are reaping.

May our hearts dance in exuberant fulfillment to celebrate the last days of summertime! May we live each moment to the fullest, and savor the miraculousness and preciousness of this embodied experience.

Let us sing praises to Nature in all her Glory! Let us seek the magic of this new moon, while we roar our gratitude with beautiful ferocity like Leo.  

Blessed Lammas, lovely kula.     

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